Protest From Home-Ground: Inside The Cockroach Janta Party's Pune Show Of Strength

On June 6, Abhijeet Dipke walked out of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport holding up a copy of Dr B.R. Ambedkar's ‘My Autobiography ’. Five days later, Dipke stands in front of the very statue of Ambedkar in Pune, this time holding up his own manifesto for the betterment of the nation’s education system. 

Pune’s prestigious Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) was swarmed by thousands of ‘cockroaches’ who demanded one thing: accountability from the government. Dipke, the 30-year-old  founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, rallied students, parents, teachers and all those who were fed up with the education system to peacefully protest and call for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, here on June 11. 

With the crowds roaring “I am cockroach!”, Dipke took the stage in his own home-ground with one question for the government: “I want to ask the leaders of this country a simple question. What matters more to you, the future of one crore students or the position of one incompetent minister?”

Joined on stage by prominent environmentalist and educationalist Sonam Wangchuck, the Cockroach Janta Party unveiled its education manifesto, calling not just for the resignation of Pradhan but for a wider disruption of the system of education in India. 

The CJP manifesto demands include:

• A ₹10,000 government compensation for students affected by paper leaks, exam cancellations, and delays, including delayed results.

• A mandatory provision for conducting re-examinations within 72 hours of any disruption or compromise.

• Continued paper-based evaluation of written examinations to ensure transparency and fairness.

• Automatic age-limit extensions for candidates whenever exams or results are delayed.

• Independent third-party audits and greater transparency for all computer-based examinations.

Taunting the government for consistently labelling the CJP and himself as ‘anti-national’, ‘security threat’ and a ‘Pakistani cell ', Dipke retaliated against the "baseless accusations" of the centre. “Ever since our movement started, they are calling it Deep State funding, George Soros funding, Pakistan funding”, while referring to Vedant Srivastava, a CBSE student who flagged errors within the OSM system. He said, “What about that seventeen-year-old CBSE student? You have already called him a Pakistani. Are you not ashamed to call your country's students Pakistanis?”

He added, while discrediting the ‘Hindu-Muslim’ political tactics of the BJP, “You are calling me a Pakistani. You are calling students Pakistanis. The journalists who ask you questions, you call them Pakistanis. The opposition that is fighting against you, you call them Pakistanis. So who is the Indian? The BJP IT Cell?”

“Education Minister ho kaisa? Sonam Wangchuk jaisa!” sloganeered the Pune cockroaches as Dipke said, “Sonam Wangchuk sir is one of the most respected voices on education in this country. A person like him should be serving as Education Minister, not being treated like a criminal.”

Addressing the protestors, the recently released veteran activist said, “It is so important to reform our examination systems, our methods of evaluation, and our standards. If there is something wrong, answers must be sought. Responsibility must be fixed. Accountability must be demanded. That is precisely what all of you are doing today.”

Calling out the Modi government and media, Wangchuk stated, “This is not against any government. In fact, any good government should be happy when such questions are asked, because it helps correct their work. True friends are those who can point out your shortcomings and tell you the truth. Even if their words sound bitter, they are your true friends. False friends are those who flatter you and tell you everything is right, whether it is right or wrong.”

The sentiments Wangchuk and Dipke spoke of were embodied by the massive turnout of students present. Second-year law student, Niharika from New Students and Youth Federation (NSYF), said, “The demand we are placing for the resignation can be the start of the movement, but it can’t be the end of it. We need a change in the system. Dr Ambedkar said, ‘Political democracy can happen only when there is social and economic democracy’; we stand by this and will continue to demand that the NTA be scrapped.”

Expressing her frustrations with the government, the law student said, “Every time the public starts to really question the government, they draw attention elsewhere and cover it up. They navigate the public eye to useless things like going to Italy and giving chocolates there. But people are not falling for these tactics anymore, and are beginning to see it for what it is.” She added, “The question is related to our jobs, our stomachs, our income. We do not want your Hindu-Muslim propaganda, we see the Constitution being hijacked, institutions like the ED, EC and Supreme Court are all controlled. This is the character of our government,” she alleged. 

Even a handful of students who didn’t label themselves as ‘cockroaches’ came out in support of this protest. A student from MIT University with DISHA Foundation claimed that he came out to SPPU as it was the duty of a responsible student and youth of the country. “We too demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. Education is a fundamental right in India, yet it is guaranteed only till class 8. I believe we should be guaranteed education till graduation and maybe even beyond that. We want local language education, dismissal of the NTA, Bhagat Singh National Employment Guarantee Act (BNEGA) should be implemented, and government-sponsored unemployment wages.”

At the protest, Dipke mentioned that his own mother tried to dissuade him from coming to India: “When I left America, my mother was crying a lot; she said, 'Don't come back to India, these people will stop you, they will do something to you.’ And the reason I say this is because this is not just my situation. Many such mothers are sitting here today. They worry that if their children speak about politics, question those in power, or raise their voices, they may face consequences. So I just want to tell these mothers and fathers: don't stop your children from speaking. If someone has to go to jail, I will go. But don't stop your children from speaking. Let them speak.”

Such is the story for many such students. Another NYSF-affiliated student from SPPU claimed that her parents also tried to dissuade her from going to the protest, as such activities, though democratic, are perceived negatively: “Despite this, I have still come here because this is a question of my future and the youth. It is my duty!”

“I am a cockroach.  In the nation, paper leaks are normal, and youth unemployment is peaking, I support the CJP because they actually are speaking for us. Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. New Education Policy (NEP) should be scrapped. The mainstream media seems more interested in seeing Modiji distribute chocolates instead of reporting the actual issues,” said Maishak Paul, a Computer Science graduate. 

Regarding the government announcement that the Air Force will be deployed in delivering and securing the exam papers, he added, “If the government had done its job properly in the first place, there would be no need to use such kind of measures.”

As Outlook reported earlier that Abhijeet Dipke was accompanied by his “mentors”, Maharashtra environmentalist and social activist Dr Vishwambhar Chaudhary and socio-legal advocate Asim Sarode, on the morning of 11 June. 

As the protest came to an end, Chaudhary told Outlook, “This is the first time I have heard slogans that Hindu-Muslim tactics won’t work. I am sure that eventually this will go to the roots of democracy. The CJP will water the tree of democracy. After seeing the turnout and scene here today, I am hopeful. Dipke has respect for democracy, for nonviolence and the constitution; such a person will win, India will stand with him.”

Sarode also added, “Such kind of support was not expected, but it was welcome. You can see the similarity in students all over India in their anger and that they are feeling neglected. I am still a bit sceptical as the government has not created any obstacles for Dipke and the CJP yet. All political parties should participate in the CJP; it is not a political party, it is a non-threatening movement. Together, united, it can be powerful. ”  

An estimated 10,000 'cockroaches,' who moments earlier had filled the air with thunderous slogans, fell into complete silence. Banners were lowered, and the massive crowd stood motionless before the Ambedkar statue for two minutes as Dipke called for a tribute to students who have died by suicide amid the repeated mishandling of government examinations. The sudden hush of such a large and vocal gathering underscored the weight of the moment. 

“Many people have been asking whether the Cockroach Janta Party exists or not. The cockroach is a message. It is a message that the young people in this country are tired of your politics. They are frustrated with it and have given up on this system. They are saying that cockroaches are everywhere, that the system is rotten. And we need to fix this system,” Dipke’s words resonate with the masses of students of the nation.

As the 'cockroaches' continue to crawl to other major cities to demand Pradhan's resignation and a better education system, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the CJP is not a moment; it is a movement.